


Will Ski for Love

by JHsgf82



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-24
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-14 18:41:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29671584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JHsgf82/pseuds/JHsgf82
Summary: Response to Tumblr Prompt: Katniss’ fiance dumps her just before Valentine’s day, leaving her with a reservation at a ski lodge. Her sister begs her to take her, hoping to take her mind off “that jerk”. Katniss is hopelessly depressed, she can’t see a light at the end of the tunnel. Except when she gets to the ski lodge, she runs into the most beautiful man with the most striking blue eyes; also nursing a broken heart. They get snowed in … the rest is up to you!
Relationships: Annie Cresta/Finnick Odair, Katniss Everdeen/Peeta Mellark
Comments: 8
Kudos: 34





	Will Ski for Love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AmeliaOdair](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmeliaOdair/gifts).



> Happy Birthday, AmeliaOdair!
> 
> Edit by mrspeetamellark

Katniss’s fiancé, Gale, had just dumped her, three days before Valentine’s Day. Not that she cared about this silly pseudo-holiday (at least the modern iteration of it), but the woman he left her for probably did. Oh, Gale hadn’t said he was leaving her for another woman‒he’d given her some vague explanation about them being too different and wanting different things‒but what else could it be? She knew his reasoning had to be a lie because they were more alike than anyone else she’d ever known. And really, what different things could he possibly want which she couldn’t provide? Maybe she wasn’t sexy enough, or adventurous enough in bed.

Anyway, her former best friend, lover, and hunting partner had left her with an arrow-sized hole in her heart and a reservation at a ski lodge, as he’d used her credit card to book it. Well, she’d canceled their joint card and bank account immediately, so she was covered there‒not that she thought Gale would stoop so low as to take her money.

Of course, she hadn’t thought he would cheat, either. She didn’t have proof, but he had to have, right? He wouldn’t have just decided on a whim to leave her, not after all they’d been through. Then again, maybe he would. He probably had another reservation somewhere fancy with…whoever she was. He was probably going to wine and dine and sex up the little hussy while she was stuck with a non-refundable reservation at a ski lodge. A ski lodge! She didn’t even know how to ski…

Well, her little sister, Primrose, loving and well-meaning as she was, had insisted that Katniss keep the reservation, and take her along. She’d said “screw Gale” (Katniss couldn’t believe her baby sister would even use the word ‘screw’); she’d said they’d go for a sisters’ weekend and have a blast. And she’d agreed. Prim had insisted she forget all about that jerk and enjoy herself like she deserved, but it wasn’t so easy…How do you forget the person who was always there?

Katniss had thought Gale was the love of her life, but how could he be if he’d been able to drop her so easily? She felt like a nasty habit. No, even lesser than a nasty habit‒because those are usually quite difficult to kick. She must have been nothing to him.

It ached, but Katniss had resolved to have fun this weekend. Or, at least try to. For Prim.

Prim had mentioned that maybe Katniss would meet a guy at the lodge who’d take her mind off Gale, but what were the odds of that? Not many single people go to a ‘romantic’ ski lodge, and even if there were some prospects there, it wasn’t likely she’d connect with any of them. Even lower were the chances of her being able to go through with it, with the way she was feeling, even if it was just a fling. She couldn’t believe Prim had suggested a fling. Where had she gone wrong? Did her little sister really want her to jump into bed with some random guy who she had no idea where he’d been?

Well, that wasn’t going to happen.

* * *

The Gem of Panem Lodge was beautiful, Katniss had to admit. Even in her morose state of mind, she could acknowledge that. The lodge was made of brown and sand-colored stone and wood. The place was like a postcard‒snow-capped mountains, scenic vistas, and a cozy little lodge tucked between rows of evergreens. Perhaps Gale didn’t have such a bad idea, after all.

Gale.

Why? Why was she still thinking about him? Why did the wound feel so raw, gaping and festering as though it’d permanently mar her? Why couldn’t it have been like ripping off a bandaid, quick and painful, but over in seconds? But no, this was going to linger. As her friend, Johanna, had said, it would hurt like a motherfucker, but eventually, she would grow numb and it’d be as if he never existed.

Well, she didn’t know about that, but it was nice to think about.

Then again, she didn’t necessarily want to completely erase Gale; she had a lot of good memories with him. She’d rather her brain be surgically or chemically-altered to only retain the good things about him and none of the bad. But that was impossible.

* * *

The interior of the lodge was rustic and cozy, and Prim squealed the moment they stepped inside. “This place is perfect!”

_Yeah, Gale sure knows how to pick ‘em._

Katniss took a look all around. It really was a nice place, and not bad for the price, either. Although she’d splurged a little, her ex had chosen somewhere nice that wouldn’t break the bank. Frugality was one of the many qualities they had in common.

Shaking off her thoughts, Katniss led Prim over to the front desk. While waiting in line to be checked in, Katniss caught a flash of gold, and she turned to see a guy walking in…

Medium height, stocky build, ashy blond hair (it was the glint of sunlight off his hair she’d seen) falling in waves across his forehead, and a pair of glasses worn over the bluest eyes she’d ever seen. He was the complete opposite of Gale in looks, and frankly, not a type she usually went for; nevertheless, there was something about him…

* * *

Strangely, the blond man kept turning up seemingly everywhere she went, and each time, she found herself looking bashfully away, only to surreptitiously glance over when he wasn’t looking. Sometimes he would look back, and she would pretend to be otherwise occupied. It was like a game. They did it over and over, and although Katniss felt a bit silly, it gave her a surge of adrenaline, a pleasant thrill.

Their distanced interactions, unfortunately, hadn’t gone unnoticed by Primrose, who took it upon herself to comment on the situation, and not only that, but to point out every little thing the man did and each time he looked at her.

“He’s interested in you, Katniss,” remarked Prim, nudging her with an elbow.

“No, he’s not.” Alright, so the man may have nearly bumped into the coffee table in the middle of the room moments ago because he was looking her way. She wasn’t going to assume it was because of her, though. Maybe he was just clumsy. Maybe he’d been admiring the light snow falling outside the window behind her…

And even if he was looking, that didn’t mean she was ready to pursue anything. She had no idea what his situation was. He might be there on business and have a wife and six kids at home.

* * *

That afternoon, Katniss and Prim went to the lodge restaurant to have lunch. The blond man was there, already seated at a table by the window. He looked over and smiled as they sat down. Katniss gave him a small, polite one back, and then he returned to looking at his menu.

“Look at him,” cooed Prim as if speaking about a baby animal. “He’s all alone…”

Katniss glimpsed him out of the corner of her eye. He was sipping a cup of tea (or coffee) at his table. She watched him set the cup down, adjust his glasses, and stare out the window.

“Aww, he looks so lonely.”

“He looks fine to me,” replied Katniss, giving him another sidelong glance. He was casually checking his phone now.

“Oh, don’t be so heartless, Katniss. He’s clearly lonely‒I can read the signs‒and he clearly has been noticing you every time you’re in the room, so why don’t you throw him a bone?”

“Throw him a bone? Where did you pick that up, Prim?”

Prim made a garbled noise in her throat. “Never mind that. Don’t you think he’s cute?”

“I‒”

Katniss didn’t have the chance to answer, for the server came by their table just then and asked if they were ready to order.

“Oh, actually,” piped Prim, “I won’t be having anything. I’m not hungry because I filled up on complimentary hot chocolate and pastries in the lobby earlier, but my sister, here, is planning to go sit with her friend over there.” Prim pointed to the blond guy’s table by the window. Katniss shot her a look of betrayal just before she leapt up from her seat.

“Traitor,” muttered Katniss under her breath while Prim grinned at her.

“You’ll thank me later,” said her little sister. “…When you’re happily married and have adorable half-blond, gray-eyed and half-dark-haired, blue-eyed babies…” Prim spoke so low that Katniss barely caught the last part, but she caught it, nonetheless.

Her jaw hinged slightly. Not only was her sister setting her up, but she was anticipating her having babies with this man?!

No way. She didn’t even think babies were in the cards for her.

But Prim would be impossible to live with if she didn’t tell her she’d at least gone over.

Grudgingly, Katniss stood and made her way over to his table. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to meet him, but she didn’t like being forced into it‒and she didn’t want to be intruding on him.

When he noticed her standing before him, the blond man looked up, a wide grin splitting his face. He looked…happy to see her there. She hadn’t seen Gale’s face light up at the sight of her like that in a long time…

Okay, words…what should she say? Certainly not ‘My sister wants us to get married and have babies.’ _Yeah, that’d be a great opener…_  
“Hi,” the man said cheerfully.

Okay, yeah, that’s a good start. “Hi,” she replied.

She was grateful he didn’t ask if he could help her or question her presence; he merely folded his hands and waited for her to speak, all the while with that pleasant expression on his face.

“Um, so…my sister abandoned me, and I noticed you were sitting alone…so, I wondered if…”

“Would you like to join me?”

This time, she was glad he’d asked rather than made her come out with it, and like the ridiculously oblivious idiot she was, Katniss simply nodded and took the seat across from him.

“I’m Peeta.” He held out his hand for her to shake. “Peeta Mellark.”

“Katniss. Katniss Everdeen.” She took the proffered hand, and the moment she did, she felt a jolt rush straight up her arm, traveling all the way down her spine.

After a bit of small talk, Katniss ordered her meal‒Peeta’s was already on the way‒and they fell into an effortless conversation. Peeta was so easy to talk to. Verbose and friendly, he more than made up for her lack of conversational skills. And he was such a good listener, too. He made her feel interesting and valued.

Inevitably, the subject of why they were both here alone came up. And while Katniss picked at the last bits of lamb and dried plums in her stew, Peeta told her his sad story.

“I booked this weekend to surprise my girlfriend, well, ex-girlfriend, now,” he explained. “I even finagled to get her some time off, seeing as her boss is a good friend of mine. But…” Katniss watched him squeeze his hands together. “When I told her about it, she was annoyed. More than annoyed; she was angry.”

“Why?”

“She said she didn’t think we were serious, that going away on a trip together would be like committing or something.”

Katniss visibly winced. “Ouch.”

“Yeah… I mean, it had only been 6 months; okay, I get it, but it was how strongly she reacted that bothered me. It felt like it completely disturbed her to imagine getting serious with me. So, I talked to her about it, and she admitted she was interested in this other guy at work…”

“Oh my god. Did you know him, too?”

“Yep.” Peeta popped the ‘p.’ “Good friend of mine.”

“That’s pretty bad. I’m so sorry, Peeta.”

“Well, I didn’t want to stand in the way of anyone’s happiness, so I stepped aside. I did my best to move past it, not think about it, at least, but when I got the alert on my calendar app about this weekend, I got kinda down. I decided to go, though. I figured, hell, who knows? Maybe I’d have a good time. Better than sitting around alone, moping.”

You’re not alone…

Katniss didn’t say it, nor did she even know why she’d thought it, but she hoped he knew, somehow.

“What about you?” he asked. “If you want to tell me.“

Somehow, she thought it might help to expel it. “So, my ex-fiancé is pretty outdoorsy. I am, too, I guess, but not in the same way. I just wanted to stay home and have a nice meal for Valentine’s Day, or maybe go camping, but he insisted on booking this ski weekend…I don’t even know how to ski.”

“But you’ll ski for love,” he said.

Katniss sniffed. “Yeah, I suppose I will. Or, would have, I guess.”

Eyes sympathetic, Peeta nodded. “Me, too.”

“You know, I even paid for this weekend,” Katniss continued with a sigh.

“You paid for it?” he asked in disbelief.

“Yeah.”

Peeta shook his head in disbelief.

“I think he was cheating on me, too. It was just…really sudden, so I felt like there had to be someone else. It was kind of like what you experienced, only, he never admitted to me there was someone else like your ex did.”

“Well, I think you win, Katniss. If, by winning, we’re talking about the worst prize ever.”

Katniss smiled faintly. “I think we’re tied.“

* * *

After lunch, Peeta walked Katniss over to the concierge station to ask a few questions she had. An extremely handsome, well-dressed, bronze-haired guy with sea-green eyes greeted Peeta with vibrant familiarity.

“Oh, this is my friend, Finnick,” explained Peeta, clapping the concierge on the back.

“Finnick Odair.” He gave Katniss a charming smile. “And who might you be?”

“Katniss,” she stated plainly.

“Katniss,” he repeated. “Well, Katniss, nice to see my pal here has a weekend companion, after all.”

Peeta turned a deep shade of red, and she thought she heard him tell the concierge to tone it down.

“Yes, well, then, how many I be of service?” digressed the attractive concierge. Sure, he was attractive, but wholly, she was unimpressed.

“Katniss?” Peeta interjected, motioning for her to say what she’d been wanting to.

“Oh. Uh, I was just wondering about activities.”

Finnick Odair informed her, in great detail, of all the activities they had to offer as well as services, including their full-service spa. The spa sounded nice‒Prim would probably like that. Finnick then told her to call down if she wanted him to book anything for her, and he sent them off with several pamphlets, a smile, and a wink.

“I’m sorry about my friend,” chuckled Peeta, once out of earshot. “He can be a bit much if you’re not used to him, but he’s a good guy.”

Katniss shook her head. “He didn’t bother me. It’s okay.”

“Good. I’ll…walk you to your room, then?”

“Okay.” She nodded, and he just barely touched the small of her back prior to leading her off toward the staircase.

* * *

After watching a movie in the room, Katniss and Prim made a trip down to the indoor pool. There was a hot tub and a sauna there, too. Katniss decided to soak in the hot tub while Prim tried out the sauna.

“Don’t come back all pruny!” Katniss called out to Prim, who laughed it off.

Settling back into the warm, bubbling water, Katniss breathed in deeply. The strong scent of chlorine filled her nostrils, but it wasn’t a smell that bothered her. She closed her eyes and relaxed for a moment, and when she opened them again, she was met with a sight that made her suck in a sharp breath.

Peeta was walking in wearing only a pair of orange swim trunks. Well, that settled that question‒Prim had wondered if the adorable blond guy had a good body and had teased Katniss about it, insisting she find out. He did. Everything (and she did mean everything) was muscular and tight, so much so that it seemed unfair, unfair that he should look so good, and unfair that a guy who looked so good (and was so nice) should get dumped.

Katniss did her best not to stare at Peeta, but of course, he saw her and came over. Greeting her jovially, he took a seat across from her on the edge of the tub and dipped his toes in. If she hadn’t gotten a good enough look at his sculpted chest and abs when he walked in, they were on full display right now. And he didn’t seem a bit shy about it.

He chatted her up for several minutes, playfully inching his toes closer to hers without touching. The simple chance that they might brush, though, was enough to make Katniss’s thighs clench beneath the water…

When she returned from the sauna, Peeta met Prim, officially. Prim, of course, had a lot to say to him, but thankfully, she didn’t say anything too embarrassing about Katniss before he headed off to jump into the pool.

* * *

 ** _The Next Morning..._**  
  
Peeta, Katniss, and Prim were having breakfast in the lodge restaurant when Peeta suggested going skiing. Prim begged off, and Katniss also considered refusing him, but it was hard to say no to those eyes. She hated that.

“So, what do you think, Katniss? Since we’re here, you wanna try it?”

Skiing. Sure, okay, she could give it a shot. What was the worst that could happen? Break a leg. Die…

Both scenarios were unlikely, so she agreed.

“Have you ever been skiing?” she asked Peeta.

“Yeah, I’ve gone a couple of times, but I’m no expert. We can go down the bunny hill.” He smiled sweetly, and Katniss laughed.

“Okay, yeah, that sounds alright.”

They finished their breakfast, which Peeta paid for, despite Katniss’s objections; then, they stood up from their table.

“I’ll take you to the rental place to get some equipment,” he offered.

“Okay.”

Once they were properly geared up, they headed out to the slopes. As they stood in front of the lift, Peeta confirmed with her once more.

“Sure you want to try it?”

“Yes.” No time to be timid. No room for fear. After all, this whole weekend was about her taking chances, grabbing hold of life and moving past any negative things.

Peeta held out his hand to her. “Together?”

“Together.”

* * *

Skiing went quite as expected‒there were some falls, a few near wipe-outs‒but Peeta was so caring with her. He was patient in showing her what he knew, and he always remained by her side, going down the hills with her, catching her often, and helping her up during those rare times he was unable to catch her. He fell several times, too. More than her, actually. Probably because he was so focused on making sure she didn’t. It was sweet, especially considering it hadn’t really hurt those times she fell.

At one point, they accidentally took the wrong lift and ended up on a slope of moderate difficulty. Thank God it hadn’t been a black diamond, though. They decided to make the most of the view before plummeting down, possibly to their demise, so they took a seat in the snow and stared out for quite some time. Peeta’s arm ended up around her, their heads resting comfortably against each other.

After working up the courage, they propelled themselves down the slope. Naturally, they crashed into a snowbank, but it’d been a blast up until the very end.

Peeta crawled over and lay beside her. Turning his head to see her, “You okay?” he asked, concerned.

“Yes.” She nodded, staring up at the bright blue sky. Bright as his eyes, thought she as she turned to meet them. “You?”

“I’m great,” he replied.

“Liar.”

He poked her in the side, and she squirmed and giggled a little.

“Really, I am. I might be feeling it later, but this was fun, and the view was incredible. No regrets.” He reached out, taking her gloved hand in his, and she clutched onto his fingers the best she could through the thick, rented ski gloves.

“For me, either,” she replied, smiling sincerely. No regrets about the slope, or about coming here…

* * *

Eventually, they managed to hold onto one another and make it to their feet. And together, they headed back to the lodge. Apparently, they took the wrong path, or perhaps just the scenic one, because they found themselves alone in, seemingly, the middle of nowhere.

Katniss turned her head from side to side, appraising the situation. Invoking her huntress senses, she pointed the way toward the lodge. But Peeta didn’t move onward right away; instead, he faced her, taking her gently by the arms.

She stared up at him. He had removed his ski goggles and put his glasses back on, and he’d taken off his hat. In a completely unlike her gesture, Katniss reached up to brush a few flakes of snow from his golden locks.

He was gazing down at her now, and it was unnerving her, not wholly in an unpleasant way. But his eyes were too blue, his gaze too intense, and the silence was deafening. And she felt the need to fill it.

“What are the odds we’d both get dumped and stuck with a reservation to a ski lodge for Valentine’s Day?” mused Katniss. She couldn’t help that she was still thinking about it, even with as much fun as she’d been having with her male companion.

Peeta shrugged. “I don’t know about the odds, but I’m considering it a real piece of luck…because I met you.”

“Peeta…”

He gave her a smile so genuinely sweet with just the right touch of shyness, and an unexpected warmth coursed through her bones. That’s when Peeta leaned in, just barely touching the tip of his nose to hers.

“You might think I’m a fool, Katniss,” he whispered, and she felt his breath brush her lips, “but honestly, I don’t believe any of this was an accident.”

“What do you mean?” she asked all too breathily.

“I think we were meant to meet. I think this would have happened anyway.” And then he kissed her amid the falling snow.

* * *

By mid-afternoon, Katniss and Peeta had had their fill of skiing and were ready to go inside and get warm. Peeta treated her to hot chocolate and showed her his secret trick of dipping bits of sweet bread into it. She wouldn’t have thought that’d be tasty, but it was.

They finished their treats and sat on one of the plush couches by the fireplace, chatting and gazing out the window, watching the skiers and snowboarders glide down the hill, most showing so much more skill than either of them had. But that was okay. They were perfectly content to be nice and toasty, cuddled up inside.

Katniss had to admit, she was having a good time this weekend, with Prim and with Peeta… There had even been times when she almost forgot Gale ever existed. Maybe Johanna was right…and maybe it would happen much sooner than she’d expected. At least, she could hope.

She fell asleep that night thinking of Peeta, not Gale. She didn’t understand how it could have happened, but in such a short amount of time, he’d rooted himself within her heart. Kind people had a way of doing so, she supposed, and Peeta was as kind as they came. How was she ever going to say goodbye to him?

But she didn’t have to think about that yet.

That night, a huge snowstorm hit. It even knocked out the power for several minutes, but a backup source quickly brought it back. Early the next morning, everyone was receiving calls, and announcements were being made, both verbally and through e-mail, saying that conditions were not safe and thus, guests were restricted from going on the slopes or even venturing outside. Furthermore, no one was able to leave the premises and attempt to travel home as the driveway needed cleared of the giant mound of white powder Mother Nature had dumped last night.

The weather was going to be bad for the next few days, too, which meant they might be stuck here. The lodge informed all guests that they would be granted a free stay for the duration of the storm, the worst of which was said to last well into the next day and possibly the day after.

Katniss should be bummed she and Prim might have to extend their stay, but she wasn’t. In fact, she found herself smiling at the news.

Peeta didn’t seem too broken up about it, either, when they met up for breakfast that morning, alone. Prim had decided to go back to sleep, but Katniss had promised her one of those amazing cheese buns.

“So, it seems we’re snowed in,” said Peeta, unable to hide his grin.

“Seems like it.” She was doing a horrible job at looking upset, too.

He shrugged. “Guess we should make the most of it.” Something lit in his eyes, and she had to wonder what exactly he meant by that. “Do, um, do you…and Prim wanna hang out tonight?”

“Sure,” she bobbed her head up and down, “I’ll see what Prim is up to.”

* * *

Katniss appreciated that Peeta was polite enough to invite Prim along, too. She was starting to feel powerful things for Peeta, and having her sister there might put her at ease. But then again, Prim had been pushing them together from the start, and it was too much pressure…It had only been a couple of days!

When she asked her to join them, Prim made up an excuse, said she’d planned on calling her best friend that evening and that Katniss might as well go hang out with Peeta by herself because they’d be talking for hours. Prim was clearly playing matchmaker again, though Katniss couldn’t muster up the energy to be annoyed with her. Truth of the matter was, she enjoyed spending time with Peeta, and if Prim were along, she might feel as though her every move was being scrutinized.

Not that she was planning on making any moves on Peeta. She’d allowed him to kiss her, yes, but she didn’t expect anything more to happen, even if they were snowed in, and even if Peeta would be inclined to call it Fate.

* * *

The spa seemed like a good idea, since no one could hit the slopes, so Katniss called down to the concierge to book some appointments. At her request, she booked a facial for Prim and a massage for herself. She then recalled Peeta mentioning being sore after skiing, so she decided to also book a massage for him. He could cancel if he didn’t want it.

As it turned out, Peeta liked the massage idea and said he’d keep it. An hour later, Katniss received confirmation of their appointments, only to learn that an error had been made.

“Your concierge friend signed us up for a couples’ massage!” she complained to Peeta. “On Valentine’s Day. Can you believe it?” Her cheeks pinkened, Katniss huffed in exasperation (and embarrassment).

“The bastard,” remarked Peeta with carefully veiled emotion.

“Peeta, what are we gonna do?” she cried plaintively. Why didn’t he seem more upset about this?

He placed a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry, Katniss. We’ll just have it changed to separate ones.”

But turned out, they couldn’t. When they got to the desk and explained their issue, Finnick claimed there were no more slots left, so they would either have to go together or one of them would have to drop the massage altogether.

“You take it,” said Peeta, ever the gentleman.

“No.” Katniss shook her head. “You said you were sore from that one bad fall you took.”

“And you said you needed some stress relief,” he reminded.

“So do you.”

“It’s okay; really, I‒”

“I’m sorry to interrupt,” Finnick chimed. “If I may say, Cashmere and Gloss are very professional; they’ll make the massage a very soothing experience. You’ll be so relaxed you won’t even know there’s another person in the room.” The cheeky man grinned at them.

Peeta’s eyes narrowed. He knew his friend had totally planned this. _The sly dog_ , thought Peeta.

“I’m very sorry for the oversight,” assuaged Finnick. “For our error, may I offer you dinner for two, on the house, in our restaurant?”

Katniss sighed. “Fine.”

A little smile playing on his lips, Finnick printed off a coupon code and handed it to Katniss. “Enjoy, Miss.” She nodded to him, then turned to look at Peeta. They walked off together.

“So…” began Peeta.

“So, what do you think?” The idea of being practically naked beneath a sheet beside Peeta was…well, she didn’t know what it was because it simultaneously mortified and thrilled her.

Maybe she was making too big a deal of it, but it was just the principle of the matter‒she barely knew Peeta, yet she would be at her most vulnerable lying right beside him. She wasn’t much of a massage girl as it was, given that there weren’t many people she liked touching her. However, Peeta had put her at ease right from the start, and the small touches they’d shared had been highly pleasant.

Peeta insisted it was up to her, and she ended up agreeing to the couples’ massage.

She couldn’t believe she was doing this…

* * *

Later that day, Katniss and Peeta met up and walked down to the spa together. Stepping into the spa, they were met with the heady scent of lavender and eucalyptus and the sounds of nature amid soft instrumentals playing through the speakers in the ceiling. The two sat side by side in ivory tufted wingback chairs in the waiting room, answering a questionnaire about their preferences for their massage experience.

A private one, thought Katniss, bitterly as she filled out her form. Although, there were definitely worse people she could be stuck in a couples’ massage with. Like Gale.

Several minutes later, an attractive pair of massage therapists, both blond, stepped into the waiting room and beckoned for them to follow. Cashmere and Gloss were their names, and they were brother and sister.

Katniss and Peeta were left alone in the room to change. Probably because they were assumed to be a couple, they weren’t given separate changing areas. Awkwardly, they stood there a moment; then Peeta cleared his throat and offered to turn around. “I promise I won’t look,” he assured her, and she decided to trust him.

Quickly, she stripped down until she was in nothing but a beige pair of boy shorts, and she got under the sheet. She put her face through the hole and stared down at the floor while Peeta changed. She heard and saw his jeans and belt drop to the floor, followed by his sweater. In that moment, she found her traitorous mind wondering what kind of underwear he wore, but she moved right past it.

Once the massages began, Katniss felt her stress melting away. She’d wondered how the brother-sister duo had decided who would take whom, though. Originally, she’d hoped for Cashmere, thinking she might feel more comfortable with a female massaging her, but the masseur, Gloss, was very good. And when his large hands dug into her taut muscles, she couldn’t be bothered to care about his gender. He had strong hands, for sure, and he used just the right amount of pressure.

Of course, the more Gloss worked out her knots, the more aware she became of the man lying beside her on the next table over, and she wondered what his hands would feel like on her body…

No, she was certainly not picturing Peeta as her masseur… But he must have strong hands, too, right? He’d said that he was a baker, and surely, all that kneading of dough and mixing produced results…

It was not the time or place to be getting worked up, though, so Katniss re-centered her mind on the sound of the gentle music playing in the background and the smell of the essential oils covering her back. And it worked for a while. However, the massage tables were set up so close that at one point, her hand brushed Peeta’s. It was an accident, yet it sent a thrill through her that went straight to her core.

Peeta must not have thought it an accident as he laced his fingers through hers. She considered taking her hand back, but it was so nice that she left it be.

Much to her surprise, she got so relaxed afterward that she drifted off. She didn’t know how long she was out, but she awoke with a small jerk, still grasping Peeta’s hand. And they remained that way until Peeta’s masseuse extracted her hand from his. Katniss assumed she did so in order to massage it.

* * *

When their massages had concluded and they were dressed again, they left the room. Their massage therapists were waiting for them outside the door. The woman, Cashmere, was grinning. “You two are so sweet,” she commented. “How long have you been together?”

“Together?” muttered Katniss. Her head snapped toward Peeta, and their eyes met. At first, he appeared flustered, his pale cheeks flushing slightly, but then she noticed a twinkle in his blue eyes, and he grinned. If she was reading his mind correctly, he was suggesting they have fun with the situation, rather than make it awkward. With a nod, she decided to follow his lead.

“Hmm, how long has it been, sweetheart?” asked Peeta. Something in the way he called her sweetheart made her tingle.

“Mm…” Katniss hemmed and hawed; she wasn’t good at improvising with her words. “Feels like forever.” A safe response.

“It does,” agreed Peeta readily. “You see, Katniss and I were high school sweethearts, but I liked her for many years prior to that. Eventually, we were thrown together by unforeseeable circumstances, and we bonded. Since then, we’ve been together through all the ups and downs life has thrown our way.”

_Wow. He sure is good with words._

Peeta met her eyes then, beaming over in such a way that made her feel adored. And for several seconds, it was real. “And we’ve never looked back,” finished he.

“Aww, how sweet.” Cashmere smiled widely while her brother Gloss simply nodded. And the two showed them out, offering them bottles of water and wishing them a wonderful rest of their stay and a Happy Valentine’s Day.

* * *

After their massages, Peeta and Katniss agreed to shower then meet up for their dinner reservations. The slick concierge had ensured they took advantage of the free dinner by making reservations for them that evening. Not like they were gonna turn down a free meal. Again, Peeta had done the gentleman thing, offering to hand over the coupon for her to use with her sister, but she couldn’t let him be shortchanged. His privacy had been encroached upon as well. And so, they agreed to have dinner together. Prim was completely on board.

Even if not for Prim’s insistence, Katniss would have decided to dress up, at least a little. If Peeta was being forced to eat with her, she could at least be nice to look at. She had brought one semi-sexy dress to wear, which she’d packed nearly a week prior to Gale’s and her breakup. It was a ¾ sleeve reddish-orange (the color of flames) wrap dress.

Prim sent Katniss off to dinner with a wave and a smile, wishing her a good time. She also felt the need to inform her that she wasn’t planning on waiting up, so Katniss could feel free to stay out as late as she wanted, even come back in the morning. It was Valentine’s Day, after all.

Just perfect. Her baby sister was basically pimping her out to some strange guy on the quote-unquote most romantic night of the year.

Seriously?!

Even if she wanted to sleep with Peeta, she couldn’t possibly do it now, knowing her sister was expecting it. She shouldn’t encourage such deplorable behavior.

But then again, she’d determined to have a good time this weekend and to try to be happy. And Peeta made her happy. He truly did…

This revelation frightened her. How was it she could so easily fall into the arms of another guy, in days?! Did that make her no better than Gale? Well, at least she was single when it happened.

Ultimately, Katniss decided to go with the flow, follow both her heart and her instincts and just see where the night led them.


End file.
